Car-coupling



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

0. A. TOWER. GAR GOUPLING. N0."48Z,105. Patented Sept. 6, '1892.

INVENTOR W fi- .JW

Y i; M4,

HI! ATTORNEY i I'llll 1?- L II I ITFT - MjW (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

O. A. TOWER.

GAR COUPLING.

Patented Sept. 6, 1892.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR H/J ATTORNEY UNI ED STATES- PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON A. TOWER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE EMPIRE CAR COUPLER COMPANY, OF WEEI-IAWKEN, NEW JERSEY. I

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 482,105, dated September 6, 1892.

- Application filed January 20, 1892. Serial No. 418,647. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: of the head A, serves as a stop to prevent the Be it known that I, CLINTON A. TOWER, of arms I) b from swinging too far downward Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and and also to prevent the accidental detachment State of Ohio, have invented a certain new of the unlocking device from the head. and useful Improvement in Car-Couplers, of As a means for placing the unlocking dewhich the following is a specification. vice in position, the head A is provided with This invention relates to car-couplers; and an opening or slot 0, extending outward from it consists in'means forautomatically unlockthe recess a and through which the lug b is ing or releasing the coupling from another pushed when the shaft is inserted. As the arm IO coupling should the coupler he accidentally b will be above the lug b when the lug Z) is broken or detached in the rear of the locking inserted, the sa d arm is first bent outward, device, and thus prevent the coupler from as shown in dotted line in Fig. 2, so as to clear falling upon the track. the lug 19 when the arms are moved down- I will describea coupler embodying myimward into their normal position. Then the IS provement, and then point out the novel feaarm 19 is bent inward by means of a hammer tures in the claims. or other suitable tool. WVhen in this condi- In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is tion, the arm I) willnormally rest upon the lug a top view of a coupler embodying my imwith the arm b below said lug. The lug b provement. Fig. 2 is a transverse horizontal being at nearly right angles to the arm b and 20 section thereof. Fig. 3 is abottom view. Fig. the opening 0 being on a horizontal plane 4 is a section through the line 4: 4 of Fig. 5. with the shaft B, it is obvious that thelug b Fig. 5 is a side view. will limit an upward movement of the arm 19 Referring by letter to the drawings, A desigand prevent the lugb from coming in line with nates the coupler-head having the movable or the opening 0.

25 swinging coupling-section A and the shank A chain C extends upward from the arm 19 portion A The section A is pivoted beto any convenient point within reach of an tween the forwardly-extending lugs a of the operator, and an upward pull on this chain head A, and its rearward extension a is prowill rock the shaft B, so that its lug b will vided with a longitudinal recess a having a contact with and force the bolt A into the re- 30 downwardly and outwardly inclined lower cess a allowing the section A to be swung wall and within which the gravity lockingopen, as in Fig. 1. bolt A operates. The head A has a recess a I provide means for automatically operating into which the end of the locking-bolt A exthe unlocking device should the coupler he tends to hold the swinging section A in the accidentally broken off in the rear of the lock- 3 5 locked position, as shown in Fig. 2. ing device. The automatic means here shown B designates an unlocking device consistconsists of a flexible connection-such, for ining of a rock-shaft 13, having bearings in the stance, as a chain C'between the arm b and 8 5 head A and extending across the recess a a fixed portion C ofacar. Obviously, should Within the recess a the shaft 13 is provided the coupler be broken off its head portion 40 with a lug Z), which may be integral with the would be pulled forward by the car to which shaft or otherwise secured thereon and exit is coupled, but the chain C would operate tended at right angles to the length of the the unlocking device to release the section A 0 shaft. and also prevent the coupler-head from fall- At the outer end the shaft B is provided ing to the track.

45 with arms b 19 extended at an angle onefrom Having described my invention, What I the other. These arms are preferably of claim is malleable iron. 1. In a car-coupler, the combination, With 9 5 A lug b extending outward from the side the head and the swinging section carryinga locking-bolt, of the rock-shaft having alug to engage the locking-bolt and an arm on the finger end of said shaft, substantially as speci- 2. The combination of the coupler-head, the swinging section, the locking mechanism, means comprising a rock-shaft for operating the locking mechanism, and an arm or arms on the outer end of said shaft of malleable iron, substantially as specified.

3. In a car-coupler, the combination, with the head and the swinging section carrying a locking-bolt, of a rock-shaft having a lug to engage the locking-bolt, an arm on the outer end of said shaft, and a connection between said arm and a fixed portion of a car, whereby the unlocking device will be operated should the coupler be detached in the 'rear thereof, substantially as specified.

4. The combination of the coupler-headhavzo ing the recess and an outward opening, the rock-shaft having the lug, the arms b 12 and the stop I) on the head, substantially as specilied.

In testimony whereof I have signed my 25 name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLINTON A. TOWER. Witnesses:

E. A. ANGELL, S. 0. EDMONDS. 

